- Europe remains the most attractive retail region
- Stability is Europe’s greatest competitive advantage
- Poland, the Czech Republic, and Portugal lead the EU-15 index
May, 27, 2026: Despite growing geopolitical and economic uncertainty, Europe remains the world’s most attractive retail region. This is according to the latest Global Retail Attractiveness Index (GRAI), compiled by Union Investment and NIQ-GfK. Although the EU-15 Retail Index eased slightly after the strong momentum of 2025, the region still achieved an impressive 115 points in the first quarter of 2026, maintaining a clear lead over North America (99 points) and Asia-Pacific (97 points).
Although consumer sentiment and retailer confidence have weakened slightly overall in the past two quarters—due to higher energy prices, ongoing geopolitical tensions, and persistent economic uncertainty—actual retail activity continues to hold up. Across the EU-15 region, retail remains positive and supports the overall market outlook.
In an increasingly volatile geopolitical and economic environment, this stability has become Europe’s greatest competitive advantage.
You can now read the press release at the link below
